The Hatter Matter
by vintage88
Summary: Alice is about to learn that it's a dangerous game once labeled as the Red Queen's pet, especially when Stayne wants to become involved...
1. Chapter 1

**I have prolonged Alice's stay in the Red Queen's castle. Apart from the Mad Hatter and the rest of their heroic crew, everyone is oblivious to Alice's true identity and calls her Um. From Umbridge. Oh, and also, Alice is her regular size. **

-

Darkness fell so much earlier in Wonderland. Beams of light that poked through the clouds during the day were weak to begin with, but when night arrived, it arrived early and with serious intentions. Looking out the window behind her, Alice decided no one from the world above could ever know the true definition of 'pitch black'. In Wonderland, there were no stars. The sky was like a spilt ink, dripping down onto the land below to leave permanent smears behind.

At that moment, Alice was sitting in the place of the Red Queen. The bubble-headed tomato of a queen sat in her throne, her sharp eyes staring down the room. She had a fetish for cutting off people's heads, and Alice would never fully understand how lucky she was for still being alive after getting caught sneaking around the Queen's garden. The Red Queen had dubbed Alice as her new favorite, and while Alice had no idea what this label meant, she knew it was what kept her alive.

"Do you enjoy poetry, Um?" the Red Queen suddenly barked at Alice. Um was what Alice had called herself to hide who she really was; Um from Umbridge.

Unsure of what the right answer was – that is, the answer that would be most favored by the Queen herself – Alice asked weakly, "Excuse me?"

Luck continued to pat Alice on the shoulder, for the Queen continued right away without getting an answer. "I hate poetry," the Red Queen declared. "The whole idea is idiotic. It always sounds silly and it's bloody confusing to understand. If I ever hear anyone recite another poem it's OFF WITH THEIR HEAD!"

The Queen's shrieking voice caused Alice to flinch. Surprisingly, Alice found herself beginning to tremble, and for a second she was terrified that she was about to burst into tears. Just as the feeling of bleak loneliness was about to take her over, two large doors entering the room burst open. Alice gasped; not because of the guards that marched in, but because of whom they brought in with them.

It was Hatter. His bright green eyes were even wider than usual, but any glimmer of fear quickly vanished at the sight of Alice. The corners of his mouth curled up as he mouthed her name, and Alice's face tightened and she shook her head to one side.

"Who's this?" demanded the Red Queen. She stared him up and down before adding, "He's an imposter. His eyes are not nearly large enough, and although he tries I do not find myself impressed. Off with his –"

"You're majesty," a voice suddenly cut in. A tall and long man in black armor stepped forwards with a red heart eye patch over one eye. "This man is the Mad Hatter. He has been seen with Alice and could be the key to telling us her whereabouts."

At this, the Red Queen's face softened with such joy it almost seemed to melt. "Oh Stayne, you have proven to be more magnificent than roses," she cooed. Her voice was so sugary that Hatter suddenly coughed as if he could taste its sick and gooey sweetness. The Red Queen turned stern again, glaring at the orange haired man.

"I have become bored here!" she announced. "Rid of the Hatter for now. I would much rather tend to my new favorite. Stayne, meet Um, from Umbridge. Isn't she just precious? I view her as a new pet of mine."

Alice met Stayne's one uncovered eye. She had planned to bow her head to him in acknowledgement, but meeting his gaze caused her to freeze. Stayne cocked his head at her, his mouth open as if drinking her in. He stood a little taller as his face seemed to stretch back. It was as if he was suddenly smiling at her with his eye – Stayne's one dark and ravenous eye.

A suddenly kerfuffle caused everyone to turn back to Hatter, who squirmed in the grasp of the card-like guards. As if on cue, Stayne began to walk back to the door to lead them all out, smacking Hatter in the head as he walked by. Hatter hardly noticed, meeting Alice's light blue eyes once again. His lips lightly formed her true name for a second time. She suddenly rose to her feet, heart pounding. Where were they taking him? Where was he going to end up?

Alice turned to the Red Queen, desperately wanting to ask these questions. She stayed quiet though, afraid of the Queen becoming suspicious of her sudden interest. The Red Queen caught Alice staring at her, so she smiled back with half-closed eyes. "Oh Um," she sighed, "What a perfect little pet you will make for Stayne and me. I could just pat you on your head right now if my arm was long enough."

To stop a grimace from forming, Alice quickly turned to look straight ahead again. She tried to look at Hatter again to feel brief reassurance, but the ca-chunk of slamming doors suddenly cut off his wide green-eyed stare. Silence suddenly fell. Everything was so still that Alice could practically hear the memory of Hatter mouthing her name, the sound of his lips wafting up her neck and into her ear.

Would that be her last memory of him? It couldn't be…

"Sit," the Red Queen suddenly ordered. Alice did as she was told, and the Red Queen smiled. "Good pet."

-

**Here starts my AiW fanfic! I will try to update as frequently as I can, although I don't think this fanfic will be as long as others in the past. Enjoy and let me know what you think. **

**x0 **

**Vinage88**


	2. Chapter 2

"What a strange place I've ended up in," Alice mused one evening. After a pause she added, "Not to mention uncomfortable."

True to her words, the Red Queen had made Alice her pet. The first move made to start Alice's transformation was where she slept. Unfortunately for the young girl, she had to sleep in the Red Queen's room on a large pillow placed by the Queen's bed. The pillow though was overstuffed, causing Alice's back to arch uncomfortably. And as if the Red Queen wanted to believe Alice was covered in fur, she was given no blanket. When the cool night air mixed with Alice's anxious nerves, she had begun to shiver.

"And terribly lonely," Alice said on a final note, because in truth, she was talking to her shadow. The Queen had disappeared that morning, leaving Alice unsure if she was allowed to explore the palace or not. Rising to her feet, Alice tiptoed over to the door. The room seemed to shutter at her moving presence, but she only closed her eyes and pressed an ear up against the door.

Nothing.

Holding her breath, Alice cracked open the door. Desperately trying to hide her fear, she began to walk down the hallway with what she hoped looked like ease. _After all_, she told herself, _I am the Red Queen's new favorite – her pet. Pets are free to roam their home._ Alice winced slightly at the thought of the palace being her new home. As she was walking down a long hallway, she spotted two red guards at the end marching around the corner. Eagerly, she chased after them. As she rounded the corner, Alice came across just what she had expected: a door.

"Good day," Alice murmured softly to the guards who stood on either side. With a lowered head she tried to reach for the handle, but they quickly stopped her. They spoke with their eyes, silently telling her that entry was prohibited. Patience running thin, Alice suddenly straightened her posture and asked sternly, "Are you going to disobey the Queen's new pet?"

She received blank stares.

"The Queen's new _favorite_?" she tried again, this time getting the response she had hoped for. As if suddenly frightened of her, the guards stepped to the side and allowed Alice to push through.

"Alice?"

With a fluttering heart, Alice looked up to see the Hatter. A grin spread across her porcelain face. He was safe! Briskly walking across the room, she took his cold hands into her own warm ones. "Hatter, I –" Something suddenly caught her eye. Thick silver handcuffs were wrapped around the Hatter's wrists, as well as a shackle around one ankle.

"Not my best look, are they," Hatter said, almost with embarrassment as he caught Alice staring. "But, Alice, how have you not been captured?"

She quickly shook her head, silencing him. "You mustn't call me that here," she told whispered. "The Red Queen, her guards, everyone knows me as Um."

Hatter stared at her, his mouth turning down like that of a fish's. "What a pretty name," he finally replied.

Alice sighed, finally letting go of his hands. "What are we going to do?" she asked. "How am I supposed to get you out of this cell? Cell?" To her disbelief, Alice realized the room was nothing like a cell. It was full of fabrics and sequins, pins and scissors, and the largest sewing machine she had even seen her life. Glue and feathers were scattered on a long table, surrounding an oversized false head. She stared at Hatter in disbelief.

"Hatter," he reminded Alice, pointing to his head. "At least the Queen has me working on something, yes?"

Before Alice could respond, the doors suddenly burst open. Stayne had marched in with order, but he came to a sudden stop at the sight of Alice. He had suddenly forgotten why he was there.

Alice's eyes grew wide. "Stayne," she said loudly, "I was just… I was just giving the Hatter some tips for a hat for the Red Queen." She paused for a second before picking up a large red feather. "She'll like this one," she said as she passed the feather to Hatter. He took it and nodded quickly in agreement.

At mention of the Red Queen, Stayne shook himself awake. Of course! "The Queen," he said, grasping onto Alice's arm, "is looking for her new pet. I've been sent for you, Um." Alice desperately wanted to squirm under the touch of Stayne's hand, but instead she let him pull her away.

Very suddenly, Hatter was left standing alone. His orange eyebrows slowly tilted upwards, for the room that had once been filled with the sweetest sound of a voice was now silent. Lifting up the red feather, Hatter gingerly dragged it across his white eyelashes. He did this for some time before something else distracted him. Dropping the feather, Hatter lightly rubbed his fingers together. His hands were still warm.

* * *

Somewhere in the Red Queen's palace, lost amongst the numerous hallways and forgotten in the shadows, was Stayne. He had pressed himself into a dark corner, longing to explode, longing to melt into the floor… longing for Um.

She was absolutely addictive. Her pastel blue eyes were trapped in his mind; the waves of her pale blonde hair had tangled themselves around his brain; and her strawberries and cream lips, oh, how he longed for a taste. Earlier that day when he grabbed Um to take her to the Queen, it had practically burned his hand to touch the milky skin of her bare arm. His knees went weak just at the memory.

Um from Umbridge.

There was something deliciously pure about her. It was impossible to find purity in Wonderland anymore; to find something that had not been utterly spoiled by the Red Queen's reign. Stayne had almost forgotten what "pure" looked like until he laid eyes on Um. There was only one thing Stayne loved more than purity, and that was destroying it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright, so now I'm finally able to veer more away from the movie's plotline. I just needed those two first chapters as intros. Let me know what you like or dislike!**

**-**

Hatter sat behind the large sewing machine. The rusty old thing was clattering madly, but nonetheless he seemed to have it all under control. Eyebrows furrowed in concentration, he completed the last few stitches before turning off the machine and pulling out the start of another hat. Placing the unfinished project on a false head, he rose to his feet and watched as Alice opened a window.

"There," she said softly, "that's much better. Some fresh air in here will do you good. You can already smell the roses."

"The scent wouldn't seem half as rotten if they didn't belong to her," Hatter muttered. As usual his large green eyes gave away too much of his emotions, and Alice was able to read his disgust in the matter as easily as words on a page.

The _her_ Hatter was referring to was the Red Queen. For a week now he had been her prisoner. It wasn't as bad as he had thought it would be, as he got to spend most of the day making hats and spending time with Alice. It was the evenings that got to him, when the guards burst in and interrogated him for hours on Alice's whereabouts. Stayne was always leading these sessions, and it was all Hatter could do to not crack. He hadn't told Alice of this yet, and continued to decide against it.

"Forget about her," Alice replied quickly. "It's just us right now, making hats. It's almost… normal." Wanting to keep the mood light, Alice picked up a glittery, floppy hat and put it on her head. Of course, as it was made for the Red Queen, the hat fell promptly over Alice's face.

Hatter approached her as she stood like this. Alice was giggling at her own foolishness, but she stopped when Hatter's fingers slipped under the brim of the hat. He lifted it up slowly, tilting it back so that it loosely hung off the top of Alice's head. "Much better," he murmured, meeting her wide-eyed gaze.

And then, he held her stare. Hatter found it impossible to look away, rather mesmerized by the sparkling glints in her eyes. _They're like sugar,_ he wanted to tell her, _sugar that's been dissolved. Only, not dissolved in a bad way, as if it's been destroyed. No, not like that! More like a sugar cube that's been put into a warm cup of tea and separated into each individual grain; freed sugar. _

That's what Hatter wanted to say, but he didn't. He wasn't sure why. As he stood there trying to push his thoughts onto his tongue, a gust of wind suddenly blew through the window and knocked the hat off of Alice's head. She tried to catch it, but it whirled away with a low _WHOOSH_ and the whistling of the wind.

"Don't worry," cried Hatter, "I'll get it!" He took three quick steps after the hat, but that was his limit before there was rattling of chains. He came to an abrupt stop, his arms still out in front of him. Slowly, he glanced down at the shackle around his ankle and exhaled loudly through his nose.

"It's alright Hatter, I can get it," Alice squeaked. After picking up the hat, she placed it tentatively on the table. She glanced at Hatter who was staring down at his hands – or was he staring at his wrists? He was fuming. "It's alright Hatter," she repeated nervously.

"Alright," Hatter suddenly spoke, only it didn't sound like him. His voice was low and dangerous, with the hint of an accent. It should have belonged to someone else, anyone else, but him. "Of course it's alright. In fact, it's almost normal;" he turned his head sharply to look at Alice, his eyes now amber, "_almost_ being the key word."

Her breath began to waver. She wasn't sure if she wanted to take a step towards or away from Hatter. "This isn't your fault," she tried to tell him.

"And what fault do you speak of?" he spat at her. "Could you be referring to the fact that I am chained to a table? That I am as helpful as the dead, dead as a doornail, dead as a dor_mouse_?" He was breathing heavily now with his shoulders hunched, almost up to his ears. "Well?" he demanded.

Alice suddenly felt like a child. She struggled to keep her lower lip from trembling and she didn't know what the right answer was. "Well what do you expect me to say?" she asked him, her voice small and defeated. She held his gaze for a second longer before turning towards the door.

Her leaving presence seemed to be what shook him awake. "Alice," he whispered to himself, and then a little louder, "Alice, wait –"

"My name is Um, Hatter," she cut him off with her back still turned. With less force in her voice, she added weakly, "Please. I am the Red Queen's pet, and she's probably wondering where I am."

Alice left the room, closing the door softly behind her. She stood there for a moment, listening to a clattering of chains before they came to a dead stop. Briskly, she started walking down the hall. She had only just rounded the first corner when she was suddenly shoved up against the wall. A gloved hand covered her mouth before she could make a sound.

"Um," Stayne whispered hoarsely at her, "how pleasant to see you. You're looking more delectable than usual, I see."

He removed his hand to allow Alice to speak, but she did not know what to say. She was growing more and more aware of the fact that Stayne was slowly pressing himself against her. "Good day, Stayne," Alice finally managed. "Can I help you?"

Stayne's one eye grew wide at this, and he licked his lips quickly. "Yes, yes you can help me. Um, _you_ can help me." Alice wasn't sure why he was whispering, and she was just about to ask him to take a step back when he suddenly leaned towards her ear and said, "I want you."

Alice felt herself stiffen. "What?"

"I want you, Um," he repeated, this time with more growl in his throat. "Let us run off together."

"Get off of me!" Alice snapped. She tried to shove him off with her hands, but he quickly grabbed her wrists. She stared at him, terrified. Feebly, she said, "But you're with the Queen."

His one eyed rolled at this. "So what if I am?" he asked, sounding disgusted. "What does it matter? You shall be my secret; my mistress. You will be mine." His hands suddenly released Alice's wrists, and instead grabbed hold of her breasts. A half gasp escaped her mouth before Stayne shoved his lips onto hers. She was about to scream before a voice echoed down the hall.

"Um?" It was the Red Queen. "Where are you? Come here, pet!" She began to whistle.

Stayned pulled back quickly and glanced down the hall with guilt and fear. "The Queen beckons," Alice whispered.

"Pretend you don't hear her," Stayne snarled.

Despite the rising lump in Alice's throat, she found herself yell, "Coming your majesty! Here I am!" She shoved Stayne off of her. Through gritted teeth she said, "Now she's expecting me." She began running towards the Red Queen. "I'm coming, your majesty! I'm right here!" Yet despite her yells, Stayne's voice still managed to slide its way up the walls, his greasy voice wrapping itself around Alice.

_You will be mine._

* * *

The Red Queen wanted to go for a stroll in the garden. It was late in the evening and she had to carry around a lantern, illuminating the smog that hung around the roses. Despite the perfectly dreary nightfall and Alice's deadbeat composure, the Queen herself was in a chirpy mood. She kept throwing a stick off into the dark for Alice to find and return.

"You're not very good at fetch yet, Um," the Red Queen mentioned. Alice's head lolled forwards in response. "Ah well," continued the Queen, "I shall teach the proper way to fetch a stick in the morning. I was also thinking about doing your hair, perhaps in some ribbons. Oh, and I'm thinking of having that Hatter make a collar for you. Do you think he can do that?"

At the mention of Hatter, Alice came to a stop. Despite being practically molested by Stayne, it was the way the conversation had ended with Hatter that truly got to her. Just the thought was beginning to make her feel ill.

"For bloody sake," tutted the Queen, "if you were going to be such a bore I would have left you in your cage."

"I don't have a cage," Alice replied.

The Queen's head tilted at this. "Hmm, yes, well I suppose the Hatter can make you one of those as well. Luckily for me, I never find myself down in the gutter. You know why that is, Um? It's because I'm in love. It's because I have Stayne." Alice flinched at the sound of his name – not that the Red Queen noticed. "No one makes me happier," she continued. "Stayne and I were just meant to be. There's nothing like the feeling of being loved. And what now, tell me Um: has anybody loved you?"

Alice tucked a strand of wavy hair behind her ear. Lifting her eyes upwards, she remembered the feeling of Hatter meeting her eyes after lifting the oversized hat off of her face. He hadn't even touched her, and yet she had felt something.

"No," she finally sighed.

The Red Queen let out an _Ooh-Hoo-Hooo_ kind of laugh. Linking her arm with Alice's, they began their walk again. "What a pity," cooed the Queen. "Well no worries, pet. I will love you… eventually. You'll have to learn how to fetch first, of course."

"Of course," Alice repeated.


	4. Chapter 4

A group of spectators had been invited into the Red Queen's bedroom. This consisted of the Red Knave, some guards, and the cluster of Red Queen followers who stuck to each other like honeycomb. The Red Queen herself was sitting on a large, plush chair in front of three mirrors. Alice was there was well, sitting on a pillow across the room. Although everyone was there to watch and comment on the Queen, Alice was watching Hatter.

He stood behind the Queen, placing different hats on her head. All of them were beautiful and elaborate, varying from caps to bonnets to fedoras to sun-hats to sou'westers galore! Each one, though, the Queen tossed to the side without a second glance, and each time Hatter's nose would twitch, or his upper lip would begin to curl before he caught himself.

It was horrid watching the Red Queen throw the imaginative pieces to the floor. A bonnet ended up flying only a few feet away from Alice, and she found herself itching to lean forwards and grab it. She didn't though, for fear of being noticed.

"Tell me what you think of this one, Stayne," ordered the Red Queen. She turned her head towards the Red Knave and batted her eyelashes at him.

"My lady, you could make a potato sack look beautiful," he responded.

He was veering away from the question, but the Queen took no notice. "Well this is no good then," she said, "especially if my Stayne thinks it looks like a potato sack." She flung the hat to the ground, and it slid across the smooth floor towards Alice. With hope, Alice thought the hat was going to make it to her, so she slightly lifted her hands to catch it. Unfortunately, it did not reach her. Even worse was that this movement had caught the Red Queen's eye.

"What's wrong pet, where are you going?" snapped the Queen. She narrowed her eyes accusingly as the room went silent. Alice's mouth opened despite having nothing to say, and so it hung there like a fish gasping for air. The Queen's penciled eyebrows suddenly turned upwards, and her lips bunched together in some sort of pout, resembling muddle raspberries. "Why are you so sad, Um? When you're sad it makes me sad and… oh! I can't even look at you! Stayne, go tend to my lonely pet."

"With pleasure," Stayne sneered as he made his way to Alice, faster than he should have. Alice stiffened, straightening her posture in preparation. Although she knew Stayne couldn't do anything to her with the Red Queen right there, she still would have preferred him across the room from her.

The lanky knave sat down next to her, half his mouth twisting into an unnerving smile. "Hello, Um," he said lowly to her. "You were very naughty in the hall the other day." He began to stroke her hair with one hand, playing with strands of her hair. "I liked it," he then whispered, lighting tracing a finger down her neck.

She quickly retreated from him. "What hat have you liked the best," she asked him loudly. Her voice sounded normal, but she could feel her face frowning in discomfort. "I myself think they're all marvelous. What talent the Hatter has."

Alice turned her head quickly to look back at the Hatter. His green eyes shifted quickly, as if he had been watching her. His chains rattled loudly as he stumbled back and forth between the Queen's chair and the table full of hats.

"Why don't they take Hatter's chains off for this?" Alice found herself asking. "He would be able to move much more freely and be able to adjust the hats better. Plus, there are enough guards here so he wouldn't be able to escape."

"The Red Queen holds the key to unlock him," Stayne answered. "If she wanted to release him for this event, she would have."

"But look," Alice frowned, "his chains are getting wrapped up and twisted around the Red Queen's chair."

Stayne suddenly closed his eyes and pressed the side of his face into Alice's hair. "Mm," he murmured, "I'd like to see you in chains, Um."

In order to not gasp in disgust, Alice jumped to her feet and walked briskly towards the Red Queen. "You're majesty," she said, speaking too loud again, "if you don't mind, I would like to show you hat that I assisted Hatter in making."

The Queen only shrugged in boredom. Carefully, Alice reached for a small hat on the table. It was black with a large red bow tied around its brim. In the centre of the bow was a tiny, dried rose; pale pink in color with the edges of its petals yellowing ever so slightly. "This really is Hatter's creation," Alice mumbled nervously as she lifted the hat to the Queen's head. She felt Stayne's eyes on her, but chose to meet the eyes of Hatter. Gulping, she continued with a hesitant laugh, "I only chose the color of the ribbon."

The second the hat touched the Red Queen's head, she let out a vociferous squeal. "OOOH UM!" she bellowed, "I LOVE IT! I SIMPLY LOVE IT!" Rising to her feet, the Red Queen began to bow and show off the hat. As the room burst into applause, she leaned over to Alice and said out the side of her mouth, "It's a good thing you showed me this, because this whole process was becoming terribly dull and I was going to have to cut off that Hatter's head."

Alice's eyes widened fearfully. "You what?" she breathed, but the Queen did not hear her. She was too busy showing off her new hat, bowing and striking poses to never ending applause. With a clenched jaw, Alice looked in the direction of Hatter. He was lightly kicking at the chains, his head turned to the floor – the same head that would be staying on his shoulders, at least for now.

* * *

Hatter was asleep at his desk, his cloud of orange hair mixing in with glittery feathers and cut pieces of fabric. His hands were out in front of him, clenched into fists. His clothes were disheveled, and his breath was raspy in his sleep. All of these things Alice noticed right away as she sneaked into his hat-making prison later that night. It was only when she was right beside him that she noticed the cut.

It was on his cheek; a long red river, open and fresh; a real gash. Alice stared at it in awe at how it so perfectly clashed with his hair. As guilt took a comfortable seat in the pit of her stomach, she began to lightly trace around the gash with a trembling finger. From its size she imagined that it had bled quite a bit, and she had just started to wonder how Hatter had cleaned it up so nicely when one of his hands snapped up and grabbed her by the wrist.

His head rose, eyes flashing bitter amber. Alice's breath became shaky at the sight of him, for the other half of his face revealed that more damage had been done. There was a dark bruise around the edge of his eye, more bruising on his high cheekbone, and another small cut just below his lip. There was no way that Alice could have known about the interrogations, but she could guess that Hatter's injuries were caused by Stayne.

Alice shifted her hand so that her fingers laced with Hatter's, gripping it tightly. This seemed to wake him up, and his eyes returned to their normal shade of green. "Um?" he asked, remembering to use her fake name. This caused a lump to rise in Alice's throat and she suddenly threw her arms around Hatter's neck. His chained wrists hung between them limply, unsure of how to respond.

"I'm sorry," whispered Alice. "Hatter, I'm so sorry. I've been so stupid. This whole time I've been pretending we could just live like this, making hats for that horrid queen. But of course, you've been her prisoner the whole time. I've been so blind. I've been –" Her voice caught in her throat, and she had to pause to compose herself. "I'm going to get you out of here," she finally said. "I promise I will. I promise."

Hatter said nothing, only wishing he could hug Alice back. Finally, he tilted his head, nuzzling his face into the nape of her neck.

-

**Let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is highly appreciated, like if you think I'm repeating something too much, or if you like the way something sounds. **

**x0**


	5. Chapter 5

The Red Queen was taking Alice for a walk around the rose garden. As requested, Hatter had pieced together a leash and collar for the Queen. He had tried to make it as loose as possible, and with the softest fabric available, so that Alice could be comfortable. Despite all that work though, the surging pain was unpreventable as the Red Queen still tugged harshly on the leash for no particular reason. She must have thought it would clarify who was boss – as if Alice didn't already know.

"Come along, Um," instructed the Queen. "If we continue to walk at your pace it will be after supper. I said _come along, Um!_" She gave a harsh tug on the leash, causing the collar to snap Alice's neck outwards.

"You just told me I was walking too fast," she muttered below her breath as she rubbed her neck. The shifting of the collar was beginning to burn her skin, so she slipped a finger underneath to try and stretch the fabric. As she did, she could felt the welts that were forming. Blue and purple berry-like bruises would form Alice's own personal choker in no time.

"Don't you talk back to me!" the Red Queen shouted at her. Her eyes grew wide as she glowered at Um. Through tight lips she added darkly, "If this attitude of yours keeps up, Um, you will no longer be my favorite. And who knows, you may not even have that pretty little head anymore to be my pet. Such a waste, too," she added, stroking Alice's wavy hair.

Alice shuddered at the thought of losing her head, not because it meant she would be dead, but because it meant that any chance of freeing Hatter would be ruined. Swallowing her whines, Alice spoke up in a cutesy voice, "I thought we were going to play fetch again, though. I so much would like to improve my game so that you can have more fun."

The Red Queen eyed Alice suspiciously, if only for a moment, before her face went soft like butter. "Oh Um," she cooed, "how precious that you're always thinking of me. I'm still mad at you though for talking back," she added quickly, "although I will allow a good game of fetch." Undoing Alice's collar, the Red Queen emphasized sternly, "Make it a _good_ game of fetch."

The collar fell to the ground, and Alice gingerly brushed her fingers up to her neck. Her head began to throb in pain, but she didn't have much time to think about it before the Red Queen brought out a small ball from her pocket and threw it in the air. "Fetch!" she yelled, and Alice watched as the ball bounced under a hedge of roses.

_Make it good,_ she repeated to herself as she trudged forwards. Without hesitating, Alice got down on her hands and knees and began to crawl under the hedge. Twigs and rose thorns grabbed onto her hair and skin as if they had tiny fingers with long nails. Alice could only wince at the numerous paper cut-like scratches, not wanting to make a fuss.

Eventually, the hedge came to an end, bringing Alice to the castle wall. Picking up the ball, Alice rose to her feet and ended up facing a large wooden door. Glancing behind her, Alice realized that the tall hedge was protecting her from the Queen's watching eye, so she leaned forwards to open the door. It was locked, but Alice knew right away that it would lead to outside the palace walls.

Returning to the Queen, Alice asked with cute curiosity, "Your majesty, why is there a door behind that rose hedge?"

The Red Queen's lips curled up in a smile, falling for Alice's pretty adorableness. "Don't know, pet. Now hand over the ball. You're game of fetch is improving."

"But the door is locked," Alice continued, not ready to play just yet. "How is one supposed to open it?"

"One can't," answered the Queen. "Only I can. You know Um, this palace used to have a thousand stupid, petty little keys, all for individual doors and locks. It was the poorest of all systems, so when I became Queen and I made one key that would open every door here. Much simpler that way, believe me, although I thought I'd almost lost the key once. What a disaster that would have been, so now I keep it in a box on my bedside table unless I need it. Aren't I just brilliant?"

Alice nodded, "Utterly brilliant."

"And I'll be using that same key to lock and unlock your new cage, once it's built," the Red Queen then added. She smiled at Alice with half closed eyes, and then stuck out her hand with a flat palm. "Now hand over the ball."

Alice did so promptly. She watched as the ball through flew the air and under another rose bush, but she was so suddenly filled with buzzing energy that she didn't even care. Alice dove right into the roses after it.

She had literally found the key to Hatter's freedom.

* * *

A show was being put on for the Red Queen that night. It was a ballet, full of stiff tutus covered in jewels, painted masks and pointed feet wrapped in silk. The music was loud and enchanting, composed by a man with a large, swirly mustache. The event was a gift to the Red Queen, from the Red Queen.

"I always give myself the best presents," she had told Alice at the start of the evening. "I surprise myself every time!"

It seemed that luck was continue to hover over Alice's shoulder, for not too long after the show had begun, the Red Queen left her pet's side to view the stage from different angles. It was when the Red Queen decided to take the place of the composer, wanting to conduct the music herself, that Alice decided she could slip out unnoticed.

She moved quickly. As everyone was in watching the madness of the ballet, the halls were completely empty. The only sound was from the light swishing of Alice's dress as she ran into the Red Queen's room. Just as the Queen had said, a box sat on her bedside table. Without a second thought, Alice lunched for it and opened the lid, revealing a small golden key. If the Red Queen had been true to her word, than this was the key that unlocked everything – including the chains that bound Hatter.

Bolting to the Hatter's prison, she burst through the doors and exclaimed, "I have it! I've found the way out, Hatter. Earlier today I found this door in the garden that we can escape through, so once I've unlocked you we can escape through the window of the Red Queen's room, into the garden and…" Alice's voice suddenly faded.

Window?

It was necessary, Alice had decided, to go through the window. This way there would be less of a chance of crossing paths with anyone leaving the ballet. Who other than the Red Queen would be going to her bedroom? And surely the Red Queen would be staying until the ballet was over! The question of _how_ to get out the window only hit Alice at that moment though.

Hatter watched Alice with anticipation. She had not been able to visit him since the night before when she promised to freed him, so he had been alone in his prison for hours. Not even motivated to make a new hat, Hatter had been trapped in the pain of his battered body. At the sight of Alice though, the pain vanished. He felt like he could jump out a window if he had too. All he needed was to be freed of chains.

"Do you have the key?" he asked slowly.

Alice nodded, deep in thought. "I've got it," she finally said. "I'll run back to the queen's room and make some sort of rope out of her bed sheets. That way we can climb out the window safely. I'll give you the key so you can unlock yourself, and then you can run over and meet in the Queen's room…" Alice's voice faded for a second time, only this time it was because she was smiling.

Lifting up the small gold key, she handed it to Hatter. "You're free," she whispered, her smile widening into a grin.

Hatter lightly took the key, as if he were afraid it was going to dissolve at his touch. He noticed the ring of bruises around Alice's neck, and wondered what she had to endure to get the key. "Thank you, Um," he replied with wide eyes.

Alice shook her head. "It's Alice," she told him with a laugh. "My name is Alice from now on."

"Thank you, Alice," he corrected himself, and his eyes shined brighter than ever before. Alice could have fallen into those eyes. She could have stared at them for hours, but she knew that time would come soon. Right now she had to get to the Queen's room.

As if he could read her mind, Hatter nodded for her to go. Her heart practically cracked as she left the room, but she knew Hatter would be following her in no time. The music from the ballet, which now sounded like screeching birds since the Queen had taken over, could be heard from below. Alice began to think about what could be used for the rope: bed sheets, curtains, maybe even some of the Queen's own dresses. Alice smiled at the thought as she burst into the bedroom.

It was after Alice had crossed the room and opened the window when she first noticed the shadow of the spider against the wall. It was so unexpected that she had to stop and stare. The little light in the room somehow illuminated the spider's shape against the wall, enlarging its size to monstrous lengths. A breeze crept in from outside and the spider began to quiver as if with excitement. It almost looked liked it was swaying to the awful music from below.

Rather curious, Alice took a slow step away from the window. It was peculiar how a shadow could be cast in such a dark room, yet there it was. Its faded edges grew a little sharper as she approached, and it seemed to stretch twice in size. She almost considered reaching out to it as it grew, uncoiled and unfurled in front of her. And then, to Alice's sickening realization, the shadow suddenly spoke. "You will be mine, _Alice._"

Long arms suddenly shot out from the dark, smothering Alice before she could make a sound.

-

**Eep! I wrote the part in the bedroom just as a thunderstorm started. I hope it's as eerie as the weather here is! I was a little unsure about the spider/shadow part and edited it so many times to try and get it right. Please let me know what you thought of it. **


	6. Chapter 6

As Stayne's longing for Um grew into unruly obsession, his tolerance began to run thin. So thin, it felt like a piece of string ready to snap. He had conjured up plans that would prevent him from having to spend time with the Red Queen – plans that he never went through with. Although avoiding the Queen meant he wouldn't have to be bothered with talking in sweet melodies, it would also mean he wouldn't get to see Um.

That pretty little creature was always by that bulbous Queen's side.

That damn little creature always managed to escape.

The intensity of being unsatisfied for so long caused anger to run through Stayne's veins. He could practically feel the fury bubbling under his skin. During the interrogations he had taken his frustration out on Hatter. "Where is Alice?" he would yell as he kicked the hatter in the ribs. The stupid man would slur some feeble response, but Stayne hardly heard him. What he was really asking was why Um was not yet his. So he would continue to punch and kick and scratch at Hatter, feeling only a little better once the interrogations were over

He was hungry for Um; he wanted to kiss her, touch her, eat away at her purity until there was nothing left to take. Sometimes it amazed Stayne that he could even be in the same room as Um without lunging at her and doing the things that were so clear in his head.

That was why when he saw Um leave the ballet, he followed her. And that was why he listened outside the door as she talked to Hatter, and Um became Alice, and then everything made sense. And that was why Stayne found himself in the Red Queen's bedroom, watching as Alice floated over to the window, pale and beautiful like the ghost of a dream. And that was why he lunged at her.

"You will be mine, _Alice!_"

He pushed her to the floor, grabbing her by around the bruises on her neck until her eyes water. Oh, and her eyes – they were wide and terrified and didn't even try to argue that she wasn't Alice.

"Alice," Stayne hissed, straddling her as he squeezed her hair in his hands.

Suddenly, Alice's expression changed. Her face went hard and she began to squirm furiously, until she kneed Stayne between the legs. His body loosened just enough to slip out from under him. Rising to her feet, she clenched her hands and said, "You will leave me right now."

"I will do whatever I want to you," Stayne spat at her, but Alice quickly cut him off.

"You can't. If you touch me I will scream and bang on the floor. When the Queen hears what you are doing to her favorite, she will have your head cut off."

So Alice is a fighter, Stayne thought as he wiped his chin. He was practically drooling over her, and he couldn't help but chuckle. "Do you hear that music down stairs?" he yelled at her. "You can make as much noise as you'd like. I _will_ make as much noise as I like. No one will hear anything as long as the Queen is enjoying the ballet. "

He paused for a moment, continuingly impressed by her courage. Licking his lips, he then said, "But you're not going to fight me. You're not going to try to escape. You're going to do everything I want, because if you don't, I will convince the Red Queen to kill the Hatter." His lips twisted into a smile. "He's a friend of yours, isn't he? Well I'll just tell the Queen that he doesn't know where Alice is and that he's wasting our time. She'll behead him first thing tomorrow, and you'll be right by her side watching."

And there it was: Alice's bravery began to falter. The fire was gone from her eyes, and her body began to slump in utter defeat. She was almost his.

"But I'll make you a deal," Stayne then said. "Hatter can go free tonight. He can go through with that little plan of yours, only you won't be joining him. If you stay with me, his freedom is guaranteed."

Through clenched teeth Alice muttered, "You're diabolical."

"Am I?" Stayne circled her, tracing a finger across her collar bone. "Or is it something else that wills you to sacrifice yourself? You have not even tried to make an attempt at calling for help yet, dear Alice. In my opinion, love is truly the diabolical thing that keeps you standing here."

It was at that moment that the bedroom door creaked opened. Hatter emerged, his hopeful smile suddenly giving way to gravity. Alice's head was dropped to the floor, refusing to meet his eye. Stayne, on the other hand, was eager to greet him. Stayne only had to take one step forwards to get the Hatter to flinch. It was now his natural impulse.

"Alice is mine, Hatter," snarled the Red Knave. "You are free to go, but not through this window. Find some other way out."

Hatter gripped onto the side of the door. He told himself not to budge, but under the glaring eye of Stayne it was getting hard to convince his body to stay put. Stayne's breath grew heavy with impatience, to which Alice finally spoke up, "Well, go on, Hatter."

Gravity made his mouth drop. "Alice –" began the Hatter, but the trembling girl quickly cut him off.

"Just _leave_!" She suddenly looked up at him. Alice's voice had been hard and sharp, but her face said something else. Her mouth was a dead straight line, and her light blue eyes were glistening in the dark room. At first Hatter thought it was just those freed grains of sugar in her eyes again, and then he thought it was tears. He finally got it correct on the third guess, realizing that Alice was begging him to stay. Her eyes were filled to the brim with fear.

It was the same fear Hatter had experienced; the fear of Stayne. He knew it well. Gravity continued to press down on him until he felt like his body was crumbling. His torso was bending and his legs were curling in, back to where he came from.

* * *

A cloud seemed to have fallen from the sky. It chose to just sit there on the ground, swallowing up the forest. It was like walking through still rain, so although it wouldn't drench one to the bone it did leave cool droplets of water on clothes and skin.

For example, the Hatter's hair was orange. After walking through the cloud for some time, his hair was not only orange but also sparkly. On any other day it probably would have amused him, but on this day he was too distracted by the birds that chirped merrily in the dark. Why were birds even awake at this time? Why did they have to be so merry?

Hatter glanced up. He had made it back home, and to no surprise it had not changed. The only difference was that the March Hare and Dormouse had pulled out numerous old umbrellas. "Hatter!" the March Hare cried at the sight of him, "You've come back!"

"Just in time for tea," added the Dormouse.

"Curious weather we're having, eh?" The Hare's ears twisted as he dumped a cup of tea onto the umbrella he held overhead. "Now do tell, what have you been up to again?"

"Imbecile," muttered the Dormouse. "He was saving Alice."

At the sound of her name, Hatter's eyes rolled up and he collapsed to the ground. It was agonizing to breath, and through his raspy breaths he heard the Dormouse let out a squeak. The tiny mouse and hare worked together to remove the Hatter of his jacket and undoing the buttons of his shirt. Originally they did it to give him air, and therefore were startled to see the number of welts formed around Hatter's rib cage.

The March Hare swallowed nervously. "What a mess, what a mess!" He dipped a cloth into a teapot and began to wipe at the wounds with, surprisingly, great tenderness.

"I'm alright," groaned Hatter. "Really, I'm fine."

"So fine you're practically dead," the Dormouse rolled his eyes. "Quick Hare, we'll need bandages. And Hatter… Hatter, where's Alice?"

The March Hare suddenly squeaked himself, "Look at this bruise. It's green. What does that mean?"

As the Hare and Dormouse argued over whether a rib may have been cracked or not, Hatter replayed the Dormouse's question in his head. _Where's Alice?_ His green eyes opened and stared up into the mist of the fallen cloud. "I left her there," he admitted so quietly that no one else heard.

The truth was more painful than anything else.


	7. Chapter 7

Somehow, a thin breeze managed to lift up the curtains with a subtle swish. Some few feet below, music faded in and out. Somewhere in the room, the floor creaked. And somehow Alice noticed all of this, despite everything that was happening or was about to happen. She became aware of each bump in the stone wall her back was pressed against, and of the scales that crawled up Stayne's armor. She felt every nerve in her body turn cold as Stayne slowly removed her fingerless glove, and she watched for what felt like a thousand years as he leaned forwards and pressed his lips onto her hand.

It burned.

_Perhaps the little things in life one so easily misses become more relevant when death is right in your face, _Alice thought. After a pause she rethought, _Or perhaps this only happens when that something in your face is worse than death itself. _

* * *

Hatter sat at the end of the long table under an umbrella, his eyes looking through every mismatched teacup. His shirt remained unbutton, revealing the bandage that the Dormouse had wrapped around his torso to hold his ribs together. It was white, the bandage, but Hatter's skin proved to be paler.

The March Hare stared at Hatter quizzically, nibbling on a biscuit. He then sighed, the escaped air from his mouth swirling the cloud around. "You look like you're going to be sick," he stated in a simple manner.

"Oh, do shut up," hissed the Dormouse. "Now, Hatter, who is it again that has, uh, taken dear Alice?"

Hatter's nose twitched. "Stayne," he replied.

"Ah, Stayne, yes," nodded the Dormouse. "I don't know why I can't remember that name for the life of me."

"_I_ can remember it," bragged the March Hare.

"As can I," murmured Hatter. "I can't forget it. I can't forget his face either, or the way he stared at her."

The Dormouse asked, "Stared at who?"

Hatter's eyes lifted. "Alice," he whispered. Once again his nose twitched, only now it stayed pulled back, wrinkled and creased across the bridge as his eyes grew to amber. "He stared at Alice as if he were starving. And I could see it, but I couldn't… I didn't…" Hatter's posture went rigid as he rose to his feet. In a voice that was much more low and sinister than his own, he said to himself more than anyone else, "He's going to hurt her."

Both the March Hare and the Dormouse scrambled off their seats as Hatter began to walk away. "Where do you think you're going?" the Dormouse called after him, causing the Hatter to stop in his tracks. "I doubt you're in any condition for whatever thought is going through your head right now."

"Revenge," Hatter growled, turning to face the two creatures. "I want vengeance, to do worse than Stayne ever did to me. I won't be satisfied. FINISHED!" He took an arm and swept it across the table, flinging cups and a teapot to the ground. He took a step on their shattered remains, wishing they were the bones of Stayne.

His eyes glowed furiously, anger boiling until he could see Stayne right there in front of him. "Alright!" he yelled at him, "Come here, take a seat. It's just your good friend, Hatter, waiting to serve." He pushed Stayne into a chair, squeezing the monster's shoulder. "Have a cup of tea. Oh, come on, come on. No one's drinking!"

Hatter's neck was growing hot as he yelled. He picked up a saucer and whipped it at Stayne. It shattered as it hit the chair, just above his head. "FINISHED!" he shouted again as Hatter lunged at him, bringing his face only inches away from Stayne's. "Don't be shy now. What do you have to be scared of? Drink up, or are you hungry?"

He paused, panting. In a low voice he snarled, "I'm hungry. Starving, in fact. You know that feeling, Stayne? That feeling of desperate want? Well I want you, bleeder." He picked up a knife from the table and pressed it into Stayne's neck, grinning to see him tremble. "I will have salvation."

An unimpressed sigh escaped the Dormouse's mouth. "That's all very well," he said flatly, "but right now you're holding a butter knife."

Hatter's vision suddenly popped, flitting away like a deflating balloon. He hadn't noticed his heart pick up speed. Breathlessly, he looked up at his hands, which were holding a dull butter knife against the March Hare's neck – the figure that taken the place of Stayne. The March Hare laughed nervously as Hatter released him. "Well you certainly had me convinced," he stammered, ruffling at his fur which was now a little damp with sweat.

Hatter turned his back to the table. Hunched over, he gripped the butter knife tightly, eyes still aglow with amber. "She's still there. She's still with him," he said. His voice continued to stay low with anger, but desperation could be heard creeping around the edges of his words. "What do I do?"

The Dormouse's answer was so straightforward it sounded like he was reading it from the pages of a book. "You have to save her. Getting back to the palace would be a start. A plan of action is also ideal."

"Preferably ideal if you didn't practice it on me," the March Hare piped up with a shaky laugh.

Hatter looked to the side. The blasted fallen cloud made it impossible to look into the distance, seeming to form a wall of opaqueness. Only there was no wall – not a real one, anyways. The only thing Hatter could blame was fear, but now he stood there grinding his teeth as if it kept his fury aflame. "You two are coming with me," he said to the animals.

The Dormouse's fur ruffled with excitement. "Oh sir, yes sir! What's the plan, sir?"

With a twitch of a smile, Hatter growled, "I don't know."

Miffed with this response, the Dormouse's whiskers jerked. "So all you've decided is that we're going to the Red Queen's palace," he grumbled. "What, are you hoping to have formed some sort of plan by the time we arrive?"

"We don't need a plan," Hatter told him. "Once we arrive, all we'll need is to find the kitchen."

"Hoping for a snack?" The Dormouse's bitterness was impossible to cover. This was not his idea of a formal attack.

Hatter smirked deviously. Starting to walk, he said in a husky voice, "Well we're going to need something sharper than a butter knife, won't we. Fetch me my jacket."

The March Hare, who had stayed unusually quiet, did as commanded, glancing over his shoulder at the Dormouse. The tiny mouse still had his chest all puffed out for the start of a journey, but his steps seemed to lack purpose and motivation. With a flick of an ear and raised whiskers, the March Hare asked the Dormouse - in a sort of animal sign language - if he believed Hatter was serious. The Dormouse had no answer. And so the creatures followed in silence, two steps behind the glow of amber that led the way.

-

**Hmm, so who is really leading this bloody expedition? The Hatter, or that demon that seems to brew inside him? I'm really trying to create something here that isn't cliché - something that is unexpected - while still churning out a well written piece that makes sense. **

**The end is coming soon….!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Ahaa, yes, there was a little tie in to Sweeney Todd last chapter ;). After recently seeing the Depp movie I was so inspired that I couldn't resist. This chapter's quite a bit longer and darker, but I hope you like it. **

**Next chapter is the end!**

**-**

There was something to be said for going slow, and originally that had been Stayne's plan. The brilliant idea in his sickly mind had been to watch as he stole and abused and cracked Alice while getting nothing but pleasure in return. Of course, nothing ever goes according to plan. Alice's dress had proven to be the most finicky thing Stayne ever had to deal with. He grew more impatient as his fingers failed to remove her clothes. It was as if the clothes were trying to keep themselves on Alice's body. As embarrassment filled his bones, Stayne thought he saw a flash of amusement cross Alice's face. Whether he had imagined it or not, it was enough for him to grab Alice by the arm and throw her across the room.

Her back hit the end of the Red Queen's bed and she gave out a cry. Stayne grinned. "_That's _what I want to hear," he said as he approached her. Picking her up, he pinned her down on the bed's mattress and tried to kiss her. This too proved more difficult than he had hoped, for Alice had clenched her teeth together making it impossible for his tongue to explore any deeper. With a grunt he slapped her across the face, grinning wildly as he started hiking up the layers of her dress.

"Remember our little deal?" he hissed at her as he began pulling down her stockings. "If you put up any more struggle I'll tell the Red Queen the Hatter has escaped. He'll be dead by –"

The doors to the room suddenly burst open, and a red card guard took half a step in before looking stunned. Stayne stood up quickly, trying to block Alice from the guard's view. "I now see why this pet is the Red Queen's favorite," Stayne sputtered quickly. "She's big on games, all about fun, really. Wanted a little roll about."

The guard's mouth hung there, unsure of how to respond. From behind Stayne, Alice lay on the bed, unmoving. A quiet sob managed to escape her throat, which Stayne quickly tried to cut off by snapping, "Well, what do you want?"

"Her majesty, the Queen," the guard muttered, lowering his eyes. "She was wondering where you had… gone."

Stayne huffed. "Tell her I'll be down in a second," he replied, glaring daggers with his one eye that was enough to seal the guard's lips forever. When the guard ran off, Stayne turned to Alice and told her to straighten herself up. She did so slowly, exhausted and humiliated. The skirt of her dress was still rumpled when Stayne grabbed her by the wrist with a scoff and pulled her after him. "You're staying with me," he told her, biting down on his words.

They entered the ballroom where the ballet was being performed, although not much seemed to be going on. Guests looked exhausted, and the dancers stood in confusion on the stage. Only the musicians were working hard, trying to make sense of the Red Queen's flailing arms. Not one musician dared to stop playing, for fear of losing their heads.

"Staaaaaaaaayne!" sang the Red Queen at the sight of him. "Oh darling, I've created a most beautiful song for you. Would you like to hear it?"

"Not now, I'm afraid," Stayne replied, to which the Queen gasped loudly and cut off the music sharply.

The room fell to complete silence as the Red Queen stared at him, looking insulted. Her eyes than narrowed as she shouted to the room, "Well, what do you think you're all doing? Trying to eavesdrop on the _Queen's_ private conversation?" At this, the crowd and dancers all burst into conversation with one another, speaking whatever word came to mind.

Feeling that this was privacy enough, the Queen frowned and whined, "How dare you not want to listen to my song. Here I've been, slaving away to create this masterpiece for you and instead you'd rather be… I don't even know what you'd rather be doing!"

At this moment, Alice hated the Red Queen. Really, truly, she absolutely hated her.

"My love," Stayne defended himself with his soothing voice, "you must forgive me for my absence. It seems though that Um has taken ill, and I felt it was my duty to watch over her. I know how much you care for her and, well, I feel a sort of… tenderness growing towards her myself."

Alice shivered at this, but had she not been looking at her feet she would have seen the Queen's expression soften like goo at Stayne's words. "Oh, my Red Knave," she cooed, "trying to be everybody's knight in shining armor. I'm so fortunate to have you." She stroked Stayne's cheek, ignorant as he stiffened at her touch. "Um, is it true you feel ill?"

Alice nodded once in response, not even having the energy to look up. The Queen stared down at her, her upper lip curling ever so slightly. "Well to tell you the truth," the Red Queen said to Stayne, talking out the side of her mouth as if Alice couldn't hear, "Um has been growing increasingly dull. I s'pose we could just toss her out now; behead her since she's sick and all."

"No," Stayne said quickly, sounding breathless. "Let me comfort her for the night and see how she feels in the morning. By then, if she should not sustain to your liking, you may take her as however you like."

The Red Queen grinned, taking a step closer to Stayne until her body was pressed against his. A girly, flirty laugh escaped her. "Since you've been so kind to me lately," she said huskily, "I'd like to reward you tonight. You can meet me in my bedroom whenever you'd like…"

Stayne stepped back quickly. "Poor Um seems to be groaning in pain," he lied quickly, pulling Alice after him as he backed out of the room. "If she's as ill as she looks, I may have to watch over her all night."

Lifting her hands up to her heart, the Red Queen tilted her head with a sigh. Good ol' Stayne, always thinking of others.

* * *

Had Alice not already felt like she'd been murdered, she might have been surprised to see that Stayne was not leading her back to the Red Queen's bedroom. Stayne refused to go back there though, for it would be the first place the guards would look should the Queen send them to find him again. He shoved Alice harshly down the halls, rushing to the room at the furthest end of the house. Pushing through a swinging door, they entered a dark room.

Alice's back slammed hard against a ledge, and as she instinctively reached back to brace herself, she realized it was a wooden counter. _So this is it_, Alice thought as Stayne began kissing her feverously down the neck. As his hands worked their way quickly under her dress and between her thighs, Alice kept her eyes open. Earlier she thought she would have been sobbing by now, but she found herself frozen, as if staring into the darkness would somehow separate her from her body.

It was during this, not too long after Alice had pinned her eyes to the shadows, when she thought she saw movement. Just the thought of it caused her to take the shortest intake of breath – a breath that Stayne read incorrectly and laughed darkly at. His laugh was cut in half though by a large bang, and Alice squirmed as she felt Stayne slide down her body and onto the floor.

"Did I get 'im?" a voice asked, and Alice could have sworn it was the March Hare.

Something unfamiliar swished by her in the dark, and with a growl pushed Alice to the ground. Unsure of what the beast was, Alice scrambled to her feet and blindly pressed herself against the nearest wall. The banging and cracking continued, sounding like someone was hitting two pots together. When the sound stopped, Alice held her breath.

"What going on?" the voice asked, and somewhere a single lantern was lit. The beast was revealed

Hatter was straddling the Red Knave on his knees, placing a brass kettle gently onto the floor. It was the knife that then gleamed in his hands that turned the room cold. Alice felt her legs weaken at the sight, and yet a jolt of life struck her. "Hatter, stop!" she screamed as she lunged for him. He struggled as she gripped onto his arms, but did not seem know it was her.

"Please, Hatter!" Alice begged, "Stop this! Listen to me, Hatter!" Her fighting seemed utterly useless as she watched him grab Stayne's arm. From the corner of her eye she saw the March Hare and Dormouse pulling back at the Hatter as well, but he proved unstoppable.

"He will never be able to touch anyone ever again," Hatter muttered to himself. "He will never be able to hurt anyone." His strength increased, and he aimed the knife at Stayne's hands. The Red Knave screamed. For a second, Hatter's head turned to the side, revealing his amber eyes aflame. This was when Alice realized it was not the Hatter she was fighting.

It was something else. Some sort of anger – revenge perhaps – that drove him. It was all he saw. Without thinking, Alice shifted her hands to the Hatter's face and covered his eyes, gently pulling his lids closed. Hatter did not fight this, and instead his movements became less and less until he was still. Stayne's cries drowned into sobs. Alice's chest heaved up and down, keeping her hands over Hatter's eyes and burying her face into his shoulder. It was here that she realized she, herself, had been sobbing.

Apart from Stayne's groans, the room was silent. Time passed like this, and eventually Hatter's breath returned to normal. "Alice?" he suddenly asked, his voice now soft. Just as it had before, hearing him speak her name made Alice's heart flutter – which in itself made her feel sick.

She let go of him, rising to her feet and stepping away. She watched as the Hatter stared down below him. He looked like he was seeing the mess for the first time, and yet he still understood. Hatter scrambled to his feet. He turned to Alice, but could hardly meet her eye. "Alice," he whispered, trying to take a step towards her.

Alice shook her head. Daring herself, she glanced at Stayne. He was unconscious, and in the flickering light Alice could see his face was already starting to swell. Pools of blood encircled his hands, and Alice quickly squeezed her eyes shut when she realized he had lost his fingers. She tried to calm herself, but had not gotten very far before she heard distant shouting in the palace. They must have heard Stayne's screams.

The Dormouse tugged at Alice's ankle. He held the gold key in his hands – the one that would lead them all out. The finicky March Hare picked up the lantern and led the way to the back door of the kitchen. Alice started to follow until she realized that Hatter had not moved. He was motionless, staring at his hands as if they were still chained.

"Come, Hatter," Alice urged. He did not move. He did not even seem to hear her, or the voices that were becoming louder. "We have to leave now!" The Red Queen's voice was booming, making it seem like she was right outside the door. Alice's heart was pounding, and although she did not want to, she grabbed the Hatter's hand.

She bolted out the back door, following the dim light of the March Hare's lantern. Hatter flailed behind her, his hand limp. Images of Hatter and Stayne flashed in her mind. Although Alice almost felt afraid of him, she could not bring herself to let him go.

By the time they were running away from the palace, the Red Queen's scream was echoing through the night. This caused Alice to grip Hatter's hand even tighter, although part of her wondered whose hand she was really holding: was it Hatter's, or was it just the orange-eyed demon?

When the hand started to grip her back, Alice had her answer. And yet, she couldn't bring herself to look back at those green eyes – the same green eyes she both loved and, now, hated.


	9. Chapter 9

**Alright, last chapter! I'm not going to lie, last chapter was not my favorite to write so I don't know if it turned out as well as the others, so I'm really hoping this one ends on a good, strong note. Also, I hope my frequent updates haven't made this all gone by too quickly. I'm kind of on a deadline, and won't have internet for the next little while starting some time tomorrow. **

**So thank you to all who reviewed and I'm looking forward to return in a week and see what my final critiques are. :)**

**-**

Stayne did not die that night.

Of course he didn't, because in reality the villain never dies after a first attempt. The ending is never as simple, or never comes as easily, as in a fairy tale – a genre which this tale is not. And as we all know, nothing is more real than Wonderland.

The other reason Stayne did not die was because his injuries were not fatal. His face was badly beaten: broken nose, cracked teeth, fractured cheekbone and concussion. Bruises covered his face, but miraculously his one uncovered eye had not been hit. It remained unbruised, shifting back and forth in his skull in an uneasy watch.

The worst of it was Stayne's hands and wrists, which were the only part of his body the knife had touched. Due to several bad slashes on his left wrist, Stayne's left hand (which was left with three and a half fingers) would never feel anything again. Only two fingers remained on his right hand, but during his rage the Hatter and made sure that Stayne lost both of his thumbs. The Red Knave would never be able to fully use his hands again.

At that moment, Stayne sat in one of the palace's living rooms. Everything from his forearms to his hands was wrapped in shear white bandages. His arms resembled puffy candy floss on a stick, but if only that was so. Candy floss was sweet and pure and beautiful, and reminded Stayne of a pale ghost from the past. Whenever he tried to dig deeper and unbury who the figure was, an image of the Hatter with amber eyes always got in the way. So horrifying was this image, that Stayne did not dare to explore that part of his memory, leaving the pale ghost unnamed.

The Red Queen entered the living room. Her entourage tried to follow before the Queen quickly shooed them away. She had remained fairly calm when she found out that mad Hatter had escaped, deciding it was better to have a maniac on the outside of the palace walls rather than in. Surely they would capture someone else who would lead them to Alice. As for the strange disappearance of Um, the Red Queen only cried for a minute or so before remembering what bore the pet had become.

At that moment, all the Red Queen cared about was her precious Stayne. She walked slowly to her lover, her mushy lips turned down in a frown. "Poor Stayne," she cooed, "all battered and bruised. You must be in such pain. I am certain though that our love with surpass this tragedy, dear Stayne, and to prove that I will love you no matter what I have devoted myself to you. You will never have to do anything ever again."

Stayne's one eye widened in horror as he watched the Red Queen hike up her skirt, allowing her to straddle his legs. He wanted to grip the Red Queen and smash her to the ground, but of course his hands would not respond. He even would have yelled at her if he could, but his face was in too much pain.

All Stayne could manage was a groan – a groan which the Red Queen read incorrectly.

Of course.

* * *

As it turned out, the Dormouse and the March Hare found it easy to return to the way things were before their journey to the palace. Nothing ever shakes a simple minded creature for long, especially when they've been raised in the world of Wonderland. For Alice though, who was new to Wonderland and brighter than the Dormouse and March Hare (thank goodness), things were a little more complicated.

Two whole days had slowly turned by since that night, and Alice had yet to speak to Hatter. It was like their clocks were on different times. Both of them would spend the whole day sitting at opposite ends of the tea party table, never making eye contact because they had fallen out of sync. For hours Alice would think about Hatter, and for half that time she would be staring at him. Unfortunately, Hatter never knew this because he was always looking away. It was the same case when Hatter stared at Alice.

Hatter was not a monster. He knew he wasn't, and yet this thought was not enough. A layer of guilt had settled over his skin like filth, and could not be washed away until he knew Alice had forgiven him. It was strange to find that something he had believed to be so right at one time was now the very thing he regretted the most.

Since arriving in Wonderland, Alice knew she had changed. Saying she had matured or grown up sounded odd to admit and felt even more pathetic. So although Alice was unsure how, at least she knew that a change had taken place. A sigh escaped her as she watched Hatter with a frown. Finally, Alice rose and left her cocoon of a chair.

"Here," she said softly when she reached Hatter, handing him a cup of tea.

Hatter stared, bemused that Alice was giving him something he already had so much of. Nonetheless, he accepted the cup with shifty eyes and took a sip. A sound gurgled from his throat like some sort of toad, and his shoulders lurched forwards before he spat the tea out in a spray of mist. "What was that for?" an appalled Alice asked.

"What did you try to give me?" Hatter asked right back. He sank into his chair as if some weight were being pressed on his chest, and stuck out his tongue. "It tasted like old bathwater."

"It's just tea," Alice insisted. Growing insulted, she crossed her arms over her chest and muttered, "It's not like I made it out of used soap."

Hatter sighed, "Well that's a relief. May I ask, what, exactly, were you trying to make?"

"Tea!" Alice repeated. "All I did was steep dried strawberries in water."

Hatter's mouth suddenly curled into a smirk. "That's just it then," he said as he sat up quickly. With flashing eyes, he pointed at the cup and said, "You never _just_ steep dried strawberries - or any tea leaf for that matter - in water. There are unspoken rules when it comes to making tea."

"Oh, joy," said Alice flatly.

"First, it must always be made in hot water," Hatter began. "Never serve lukewarm tea, which you did."

"I didn't want you to burn yourself –"

"Waiting for tea to cool is half the fun of drinking it," cut in Hatter, his smirk growing now. Although Alice did not quite understand, she gestured for him to continue. "Secondly, you did not steep the strawberries for long enough. There's no flavor in this cup. In the case of dried strawberries, you will know when it is ready because the water will turn a shade of pink."

Alice's eyes narrowed. "Which shade?" she asked, to which Hatter's head tipped in confusion. "Which shade of pink?" she rephrased. "There are many shades of pink. If you ever expect me to make a decent up of strawberry tea then you must be specific."

"Just a nice shade of pink," stammered Hatter.

"Tell me a _color_," Alice insisted. "Give me an _example_."

"Well it's like…" Hatter hesitated. He swallowed as he held Alice's gaze. Oh, how he had missed that faded blueberry stare. Taking a breath, Hatter finally said, "It's like the color of your lips."

Alice's hair fell in her face as she dropped her head. Through that pale blonde veil, Hatter could make out the small smile Alice struggled to contain. Her eyes were sad when she looked back up though, and with quiet words she said, "Hatter, when we were at the Red Queen's palace…"

"I know what you're going to say," Hatter said quickly, "and I'd take back if I could, Alice, I would. That's not who I am, not really anyways. It was just because of the Red Queen and _him_ and you."

"Me?"

"Well not you yourself, exactly, but you because if something had happened to you yourself exactly then I would have been…" Hatter was rambling now, words tumbling out of his mouth that even he could not make sense of. Alice took more notice, though, to the way he was wringing his hands, and she took a step forwards to gently place a palm on them to get him to stop. Hatter hoped she would keep her hand there forever, but after a moment Alice removed her hand and clasped it with her other.

Gulping again, Hatter hesitated, "I was just curious, Alice, as to what your thoughts were. That is, if you have any, your thoughts on me."

"I don't know," Alice replied frankly. It made sense that she felt slightly anxious around the Hatter after seeing what he had done to Stayne, but that's not to say he didn't make her anxious because of other emotions as well. Hatter's whole face dropped at her response. Even his hair seemed to droop, following the lowering of his eyes.

Once again, that small smile began to play with Alice's lips. Bringing her hands behind her back, she began to walk around the back of Hatter's chair as if she were about to give a formal lecture. "That is," she started, "I don't know yet, but perhaps we could look at likes and dislikes."

Hatter's eyes narrowed, not positive if he was going to enjoy this.

"For starters, I enjoy your hats. I am fond of the layout of your table, and of your friends who sit at it. And, I have recently decided that I like your green eyes."

One corner of Hatter's lips curled up into a smirk. Without looking up at Alice, he asked calmly, "And your dislikes?"

Alice sat down on the arm of his chair, picking up the cup of tea she had offered him. "I dislike the way you criticize my tea so harshly."

"That tea deserved to be criticized harshly."

Alice's eyes narrowed playfully. Lifting the cup up to her lips, she sniffed the liquid with curiosity before taking a sip. When the taste hit her tongue, she began to choke and sputter, and it was all she could do to swallow it. Hatter chuckled, "I told you; old bathwater."

Wiping her mouth, Alice put the teacup back on the table. She continued to sit on the arm of Hatter's chair. They were both silent, both staring straight ahead, their arms lightly pressing against each other. At that moment, the sun seemed to burn a whole through the sky. Streams of pale light fell through the trees, illuminating spots on the forest floor. A lone bumblebee hung lazily in the air. Its tiny wings seemed too small for the insect, and yet managed to carry the bumblebee with complete ease. They watched it until a warm breeze blew in, pushing the bee along its way.

With a nod, Alice said, "This could work." Her voice was the quietest of whispers, but Hatter had heard her.

_End._

_x0_

_Vintage88 _


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